RBC (Royal Bank of Canada) is a prominent global financial institution with a rich history and an unwavering commitment to client service and innovation. As one of the largest banks in the world, RBC offers diverse opportunities across various sectors of finance and technology.

The Software Engineer position at RBC involves significant responsibilities, including managing implementation planning, testing, verification, and risk mitigation. Candidates will work closely with multiple interfacing applications and stakeholders, contributing to RBC’s technology landscape. Essential qualifications include a degree in Computer Science or related fields and experience with programming languages, Salesforce tools, and financial services technology.

This guide will help you navigate the interview process, providing insights into common questions and valuable tips to ensure your success. Let’s get started!

Submitting Your Application

The first step is to submit a compelling application that reflects your technical skills and interest in joining RBC as a Software Engineer. Whether you were contacted by an RBC recruiter or have taken the initiative yourself, carefully review the job description and tailor your CV according to the prerequisites.

Tailoring your CV may include identifying specific keywords that the hiring manager might use to filter resumes and crafting a targeted cover letter. Furthermore, don’t forget to highlight relevant skills and mention your work experiences.

Recruiter/Hiring Manager Call Screening

If your CV happens to be among the shortlisted few, a recruiter from the RBC Talent Acquisition Team will make contact and verify key details like your experiences and skill level. Behavioral questions may also be a part of the screening process.

In some cases, the RBC Software Engineer hiring manager stays present during the screening round to answer your queries about the role and the company itself. They may also indulge in surface-level technical and behavioral discussions.

The whole recruiter call should take about 30 minutes.

Technical Virtual Interview

Successfully navigating the recruiter round will present you with an invitation for the technical screening round. Technical screening for the RBC Software Engineer role is usually conducted through virtual means, including video conference and screen sharing. Questions in this 1-hour long interview stage may revolve around general programming concepts, data structures, and problem-solving skills.

You might face questions such as:

• Write a function that combines k sorted lists into one single sorted list.
• Discuss a project listed on your resume and the challenges you faced.
• What types of programming languages are used in your current project?

Google Meeting Interview

If you pass the technical virtual interview, you will be invited to a Google meeting interview with two technical engineers. This interview is split into two parts: one technical coding question and the other focused on discussing a problem and its solution together with the engineers.

Technical questions you might encounter:

• Write a function to compute the Fibonacci sequence in C.
• Explain the role of libraries in software development.

Onsite Interview Rounds

Followed by a second recruiter call outlining the next stage, you’ll be invited to attend the onsite interview loop. Multiple interview rounds, varying with the role, will be conducted during your day at the RBC office. Your technical prowess, including programming and problem-solving capabilities, will be evaluated against the other candidates throughout these interviews.

If you were assigned take-home exercises, a presentation round may also await you during the onsite interview for the Software Engineer role at RBC.

Quick Tips For RBC Software Engineer Interviews

Three tips for interviewing with RBC include:

1. Know Your Resume: The interview process focuses significantly on your resume and previous projects. Make sure to be well-versed with what you have listed and capable of discussing any topic you have mentioned.

2. Practice Coding Problems: Brush up on general coding problems, preferably using Interview Query, and be familiar with common algorithms such as combining sorted lists or computing the Fibonacci sequence.

3. Stay Positive and Ask Questions: During technical interviews, interviewers often provide hints if you get stumped. Embrace this collaborative spirit and don't hesitate to ask clarifying questions to better understand the problems.

Typically, interviews at RBC Capital Markets vary by role and team, but commonly Software Engineer interviews follow a fairly standardized process across these question topics.

• Would you suspect anything unusual about the A/B test results with 20 variants? Your manager ran an A/B test with 20 different variants and found one significant result. Would you consider this result suspicious?

• How would you set up an A/B test to optimize button color and position for higher click-through rates? A team wants to A/B test changes in a sign-up funnel, such as changing a button from red to blue and/or moving it from the top to the bottom of the page. How would you design this test?

• What steps would you take if friend requests on Facebook are down 10%? A product manager at Facebook reports a 10% decrease in friend requests. What actions would you take to investigate and address this issue?

• Why might job applications be decreasing despite stable job postings? You observe that the number of job postings per day has remained constant, but the number of applicants has been steadily decreasing. What could be causing this trend?

• What are the drawbacks of the given student test score datasets, and how would you reformat them for better analysis? You have data on student test scores in two different layouts. What are the drawbacks of these formats, and what changes would you make to improve their usefulness for analysis? Additionally, describe common issues in "messy" datasets.

• Create a query to find the number of rows resulting from different joins between ads and the top 3 ads.

Allstate is running N online ads ranked by popularity in the ads table. Create a subquery or common table expression named top_ads containing the top 3 ads by popularity. Return the number of rows resulting from ads INNER JOIN top_ads, ads LEFT JOIN top_ads, ads RIGHT JOIN top_ads, and ads CROSS JOIN top_ads. Include a join_type column in the output with values inner_join, left_join, etc., for each respective join type.

• How would you evaluate whether using a decision tree algorithm is the correct model for predicting loan repayment? You are tasked with building a decision tree model to predict if a borrower will pay back a personal loan. How would you evaluate if a decision tree is the right choice for this problem?

• How would you evaluate the performance of a decision tree model before and after deployment? If you decide to use a decision tree model, how would you assess its performance before deploying it and after it is in use?

• How does random forest generate the forest, and why use it over logistic regression? Explain how a random forest algorithm generates its forest of trees. Additionally, why might you choose random forest over logistic regression for certain problems?

• When would you use a bagging algorithm versus a boosting algorithm? Compare two machine learning algorithms. In which scenarios would you prefer a bagging algorithm over a boosting algorithm? Provide examples of the tradeoffs between the two.

• How would you justify using a neural network model and explain its predictions to non-technical stakeholders? If your manager asks you to build a neural network model to solve a business problem, how would you justify the complexity of the model and explain its predictions to non-technical stakeholders?

• What metrics would you use to track the accuracy and validity of a spam classifier for emails? You are tasked with building a spam classifier for emails. After creating a V1 of the model, what metrics would you use to monitor its accuracy and validity?

• Is this a fair coin based on 10 flips resulting in 8 tails and 2 heads? You flip a coin 10 times, and it comes up tails 8 times and heads twice. Determine if this is a fair coin based on the results.

• How would you write a function to calculate sample variance for a list of integers? Write a function that outputs the sample variance given a list of integers. Round the result to 2 decimal places.

• Would you trust the results of an A/B test with 20 variants if one is significant? Your manager runs an A/B test with 20 different variants and finds one significant result. Would you find anything suspicious about these results?

• How would you find the median of a list where more than 50% of the elements are the same? Given a list of sorted integers where more than 50% of the list is the same repeating integer, write a function to return the median value in (O(1)) computational time and space.

• What are the drawbacks of the given student test score datasets, and how would you reformat them? Assume you have data on student test scores in two different layouts. Identify the drawbacks of these formats, suggest formatting changes for better analysis, and describe common problems in "messy" datasets.

What is the average salary for a Software Engineer at Rbc?

Q: What is the interview process like for a Software Engineer at RBC?

The interview process at RBC typically involves multiple stages, starting with a phone interview focusing on general background and experience. This is followed by technical interviews with two engineers that include coding challenges and discussions about your past projects. A final stage might include a comprehensive technical test and a code review session with a manager and developers.

Q: What types of technical questions can I expect during the RBC interview?

You can expect questions that are leet-code style or involve writing functions for common problems, such as combining K sorted lists into one. There might also be questions related to specific programming languages you have mentioned on your resume.

Q: What kind of experience and skills are required for the Senior Software Engineer position at RBC?

Candidates should have a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related fields, and at least 2 years of relevant work experience. Proficiency in languages like Java, JavaScript, C#, PHP, Objective-C, Python, Ruby, and tools like Salesforce Automation, Jenkins, and Mulesoft is required. Additional certifications in Salesforce are also crucial.

Q: How does RBC support diversity and inclusion in the workplace?

RBC is committed to building inclusive teams and an equitable workplace. The company actively takes actions to tackle inequities and systemic biases to support diverse talent, clients, and communities. They also provide accommodations during the recruitment process for various abilities.

Q: How can I best prepare for the RBC interview?

To prepare for your interview at RBC, review your resume and be well-versed in the topics you've listed. Research the company’s culture and values, and practice coding problems via platforms like Interview Query. Be ready to discuss technical projects, problem-solving experiences, and be prepared to participate in code reviews and discussions.

Ready to take the next step in your career?

Conclusion

Navigating the interview process at RBC for a Software Engineer position reveals a thorough yet welcoming approach. Technical interviews are mainly focused on resume details and past projects, paired with coding challenges similar to those found on platforms like LeetCode. Applicants can expect friendly interviewers who are supportive and provide hints when needed. Additionally, successful initial interviews lead to a second-round that dives deeper into coding proficiency and problem-solving skills.

At RBC, the emphasis on diversity and inclusion stands out, fostering a collaborative and equitable work environment for every employee. The company is dedicated to providing accessibility and accommodation throughout the recruitment process, ensuring a positive experience for all candidates.

If you want more insights about the company, check out our main RBC Interview Guide, where we have covered many interview questions that could be asked. We’ve also created interview guides for other roles, such as software engineer and data analyst, where you can learn more about RBC’s interview process for different positions.

At Interview Query, we empower you to unlock your interview prowess with a comprehensive toolkit, equipping you with the knowledge, confidence, and strategic guidance to conquer every RBC Software Engineer interview challenge.

You can check out all our company interview guides for better preparation, and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Good luck with your interview!